IDMAs 2010: Markus Schulz Nominated in 5 Categories

Outside of the Ibiza season, the most important and anticipated period of the dance music calendar is Winter Music Conference week in Miami. It is the time of year where DJs roadtest tracks which will become the major players in the playlists of masses in the next six months.

One of the most important aspects of Conference Week is the awards ceremony reflecting the best in International Dance Music, the IDMAs. The categories are so competitive that even being shortlisted for nomination is quite an achievement. This year, our very own Markus Schulz has accomplished just that, being nominated in no less than five categories, for the awards of:– Best American DJ– Best Global DJ– Best Radio Show – Global DJ Broadcast– Best Full Length DJ Mix – World Tour: Best of 2009– Best Producer

Despite being born in Germany and living there until he was 13 years old, Markus has forever been considered an embassador for dance music in the United States, living in both Phoenix and Miami for many, many years. With his residences at famous clubs such as The Works and Club Space, Markus congregated a small but dedicated audience who believed in his dark, brooding Coldharbour sound.

Over the past seven years however, his popularity has soared worldwide, playing at the biggest clubs, arenas and festivals on a regular basis, and entertaining millions each week through his Global DJ Broadcast radio show, syndicated globally to over 35 FM and online stations.

2009 will be remembered as an incredible year for Markus, beginning with the release of his Toronto ’09 compilation. The CD won rave reviews among loyal followers and opened the doors for many new fans to embrace his unique vision of trance. The summer would be dominated with residencies at Amnesia in Ibiza and at Ministry of Sound in London, and for the first time, he was speficially chosen by Global Gathering to become their festival resident.

The year just passed will also be fondly remembered due to Markus’ eploits in a production capacity. Under his own name, the track “Do You Dream” became a dance smash on Radio 538, and was christened as the event theme for Evolution in the Netherlands. Complimenting that was the resurrection of his Dakota moniker for the first time in seven years, and his Thoughts Become Things album became one of the most successful and talked about throughout the community, with hits such as “Sin City”, “Johnny the Fox” and “Chinook”.

One of the highlights for fans of Markus has been the attempt to describe his musical experiences being delivered to countries and cultures worldwide by introducing the concept of the Global DJ Broadcast World Tour. With stops in cities such as Melbourne, Wroclaw, Prague, Hong Kong, St. Petersburg, Medellin and Los Angeles, the emotions of an audience enthralled in the live Markus Schulz experience have been captivated to great acclaim. This concept was taken further with the release of the World Tour: Best of 2009 compilation, where Markus showed innovation by taking the listener on a unique journey of 15 tracks, accompanied by the crowd noise of 11 different cities.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Markus begins 2010 with the worldwide release of his next city compilation, Las Vegas ’10. In April, he performs headlining sets at Trance Energy, Bal en Blanc and A State Of Trance 450, and in the summer, he will release his third artist album, and one which is his most anticipated yet.

It would therefore be quite fitting for the Miami resident to be awarded for his dedicated efforts to dance music, during the city’s biggest week of the year.